So, a little bit about that. First, this graph is relative. There are no numbers on it. What the graph measures is when, in the selected time period for the selected criteria, the search term was most popular.

I don't have to tell you that January 2004 is not the ideal starting point, but that is as far as the trends site goes.

So let's see.

The peak activity occurs in February 2004. Oh, to be able to see 2003. That means if January 2005 is "50" that "Mafia game" was 50% less common a search at that time than it was in February 2004.

Mafia Scene went offline around 2010 I think, when searches were around 35% of Feb. 04 numbers. But then in August 2010, we get a massive spike in interest. This spike is called MAFIA II. For that month, interest in MAFIA II was 89% of interest in MAFIA as of Feb. 04.

By November 2010 the MAFIA II spike is ended although slightly increased interest is shown until July 2012, probably from forums, mods, that sort of thing along with the background interest in MAFIA.

Then there is a long decline, with a bottom of 13% of Feb. 04 interest last occurring March 2016. Finally we get the MAFIA 3 spike, peaking in October 2016 at...51% of Feb. 04 interest. Current interest is at 20% of Feb. 04.

Conclusion: MAFIA wins. I can only guess at 2003 or 2002 numbers, when this site was built and you could walk into a store and buy the game. Of course, the game industry has changed over the years - there is more stuff out there and more formats. Whatever the case, we can clearly show that MAFIA 3 generated far less interest as a new game, than MAFIA did at a year and a half old.

Let's try The Godfather. In this case, we see with just The Godfather, a massive spike in interest when the game was released, followed by a long dead period. But compare the spike in Godfather interest to MAFIA in Feb. 2004, and we see the Godfather game was FAR more popular a topic then: MAFIA, Feb. 2004, 22% of peak Godfather game interest in March 2006.

For that month, MAFIA only had 11% as much interest as that forgettable Godfather game.

Well, nothing we didn't know there. The Godfather impressively captures 2% of peak GTA interest in September 2013. MAFIA is a solid 0 the whole time. I have little doubt that GTA had MAFIA beat even in its prime. MAFIA's obscure.

For some reason. Maybe a difference in taste or culture. MAFIA does have a slight Kafkaesque flavour, but I don't think it matters.

Remember those reviews complaining about slow cars? Who could possibly like the game but not the driving? Or reviewers commenting on the far less romanticized, thug criminal gameplay of GTA?

Or the graphics? How good or bad are they? Hey, go outside - the graphics are perfect, although it sucks as a game.

Back when Mafia was released we were getting new game titles every week, this small black box was pretty much nondescript as it sat on the shelf. I waited until it was in the bargain bin before I bought it, then I went crazy on it, especially since I got it after all the geniuses had made the modding tools.

As soon as I found out that you would not be playing as a Mafioso in Mafia 3, I lost all interest

I bought MAFIA off the shelf, on a whim. The cover pushed me away, but the cars drew me in. I gambled, and won.

I would have loved GTA 3 as well - although a very different character of game, not focused on a historical period like MAFIA seemed to be. Not so cynical. More dramatic, and less arcadey, more romantic in how it portrays crime, than some guy covered in tattoos who can't keep his pants up. More fantastic. Of course, I didn't know much about it - MAFIA just played to my dreams more. Most people chose GTA 3.

Not many people here in the Netherlands knew about Mafia either. I think it has to do with a combination of bare marketing and considering the fact that it was published in the wake of GTA 3, which was still massively popular at the time and had it's sequel "Vice City" already coming up just a few months after Mafia's release.

Just like Hunter, I bought the game off the shelf as well when I found it sitting inside the budget corner for €5,- The images on the back grabbed me instantly and there has never been -and will never be- a game that made such an impact on my life without any prior knowledge before purchase.

Still today, not that many people in the Netherlands know about Mafia regardless of the latest sequel. When I ask people if they know it, I always have to describe it as "It's like GTA, but in the 1930's" (please forgive that rough inaccurate portrayal). Only then one occasionally remembers the game, but it goes to show that this game was very underdog because of GTA.

It's interesting to see the spike in the statistics at the release of each game. You can clearly tell people weren't as exited for Mafia 3 as they were for Mafia 2. Rightfully so._________________

I'm an austrian, and so far i know one person that knows that game. how did i find out that he knows it? his ringtone is the theme song of mafia

i know this game when i was 10 or 11 years old. i saw the demo version somewhere and i tried it out and since then fell in love with that game.

i still remember that it took me a few weeks until i finally finished that demo mission! (the mission about the whiskey in that huge parking garage)

but i guess people may liked gta 3 more because it was less realistic. you could carry 20 huge guns, rocket launcher, but in mafia you just can hide one big gun under your coat.

maybe it was that high detail of realism that let people feel not so good about it. seems the majority still liked to shoot around like a crazy. at least thats what i did when i played gta, because i can not take it serious...

so many halo games got "remastered", i wish mafia would get one too.

if i would have a lot of money and knew some skilled people, i would be the first one to make one! maybe with a little crowdfunding it would even be possible.